However, for recent grads and alumni alike, "clerking may be a short-term
financial sacrifice but, over a long career, that intellectual experience
and those connections more than make up for that shortfall," says
Assistant Professor Theodore Ruger. He adds that most firms offer seniority
credit for years spent clerking, and sometimes financial bonuses as well.

Clerkship
Counseling

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Penn Law is the first school to offer an applicant packet
service. Career Planning and Placement collates and sends applicants’
resumes, transcripts, and writing samples with a cover letter from
Dean Fitts and a faculty brochure. (All for just $2 per application.)
“Judges love this,” says Diane Downs, associate dean of
Career Planning and Placement. “The reams of important material
come to them well-organized and well-prepared.”

•

Career Planning maintains databases of federal and state courts
and judges for student use.

•

As a member of the National Association of Law Placement, Downs
sat on the advisory committee developing guidelines for on-line applications,
a growing trend, to be piloted by the Administrative Office of the
Courts in 2005-06. Career Planning will train interested students
and alumni to use the on-line application system.

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Career Planning maintains a listserve for students to exchange information
about interviews and decisions, and provides a daily spreadsheet of
judges who have accepted Penn Law applicants (with names kept confidential).

•

Penn Law helped develop new software for students to manage their
own list of judges.

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Penn Law’s librarians offer training in research so students
can hit the ground running as clerks.